Publication Date:
2016-02-24
Description:
By employing Hybrid Vlasov-Maxwell simulations in 2D-3V phase space configuration (2D in physical space and 3D in velocity space) of plasma turbulence, the statistical properties of the energy cascade at kinetic scales have been investigated. High-order moments of the magnetic field fluctuations have been inspected in order to quantify the intermittency phenomenon. At scales l larger than the ion skin depth d i , fluctuations exhibit anomalous scaling, suggesting the presence of a multifractal intermittent turbulent cascade. For l 〈 d i , fluctuations show monoscaling, indicating Gaussian statistics. This scenario is consistent with the statistics of the dissipation fields J · E and J 2 , suggesting that the processes of dissipation, intended as a conversion of energy from electromagnetic fluctuations to electron Ohmic heating and non-thermal proton effects, occur non-homogeneously in space.
Print ISSN:
1070-664X
Electronic ISSN:
1089-7674
Topics:
Physics
